Steel support for rock drills



Patented Aug. 4, 1931 .UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES C. HANSEN, OF EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGrNOR 'lO INGERSOLL-RAND l COMPANY, F JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATON 0F NEW JERSEY) STEEL SUPPORT FOR ROCK DRILLS Application filed February 20, 1929. Serial No. 341,309.

This invention relates to rock drills, but more particularly to steel supports for rock drills.

One object of this invention is to protect the chuck parts and more particularly the chuck bushing against the thrust of the drill steel and the wear occasioned thereby. This is particularly advantageous when drilling prospecting holes where drills of great length are employed. When drilling for prospecting purposes it is not unusual to drill holes of 75 feetor more in length and frequently in an upward direction. "When so used the weight of the long drill steel bears heavily against the chuck bushing and causes much wear and usually failure after a brief period of usage.

Another object of this invention is toconvey water to the hollow drill steels used without carrying the water through the working parts of the drill. This is particularly desirable in Vthe type of drilling mentioned above as the pressure of the cleansing water used for flushing the drill hole is frequently greater than the pressure of the compressed air used in drilling. Under such conditions the cleansing water will run back into the reciprocating parts of the drill washing olf the lubricant and causing trouble in the operation ot the drill.

The objects above mentioned are obtained bythe mechanism shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a rock drill in the operation of kdrilling an up-hole of great length, and

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the front end of a. rock drill with the steel support attached thereto.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 4 designates the cylinder of a rock drill having a front head 5 attached thereto by means of the usual side bolts 6. A chuck 8 for conveying rotary motion to the drill steel 110 from the rotation mechanism not shown) is placed in the front head. The chuck 8 consists of two portions7 a rearward part 12 and a forward part 14 attached to the part 12 by a dove tail oint 16. vA chuck bushing 1 8 serves to centralizethe drill steel 10 with respect to the chuck 8. A piston 20, only the front end of which is shown7 strikes the drill steel when the drill is in operation. The drill steel shown comprises a shank and a body portion 24. The shank 22 extends rearwardly into the chuck bushing 18 and between the shank 22 and the body portion 24 are formed wings 26 adapted to engage the chuck 8 for preventing relative rotation between the chuck 8 and the drill steel l0.

A cap 28 of substantially cylindrical shape is provided with an aperture 30 to receive the front end 32 of the front head A hollow rearwardly extending projection 34 of the cap 28 is adapted to lit over one ot the side bolts 6 and thus prevent relative rotation between the cap 28 and the front head The cap 28 has a central bore 3G ot relatively small diameter which opens from 'the aperture 30 and also an enlarged bore 38 communieating with the bore 36. Between the bores 36 and 38 a shoulder 40 is formed.

The front end o1 the drill steel 24' is threaded as at 42 to enter an internally threaded bore 44 in a coupling 46. The coupling 46 is provided with a collar portion 48 and an extension 50 which has an internallyY threaded portion 52 adapted to receive a correspondingly threaded section of a hollow drill steel 54. Thrust collars or friction rings having apertures 58 to snugly receive the coupling 46 are interposed between the collar 48 of the coupling and the shoulder 40 of the cap 28 and form a. closure for the rear end ot' the enlarged bore 38. The thrust collars 56 facilitate relative rotative movement of the collar 48 and the cap 28, and cooperate with the cap 28 to maintain the wings 26 in spaced relation with respect to the chuck bushing 18.

A transverse bore 60 is formed in the coupling extension 50 and a longitudinal bore 62 intersects the transverse bore 60. The longitudinal bore 62 is adapted to form an extension of the bore 64 ot' the hollow drill steel 54. A plate 66 having an aperture G8 for the reception ot the coupling extension 50 and and extension 70 forms a closure for the front end of the enlarged bore 38.

A ring shaped member 72 having' an annular groove 74 connected with an external source of water supply 76 is adapted to rel ceive the extension 70 of the plate 6G. The

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other end of the ring shaped member 72 is closed by a plate Z8 and bolts SO pass through the plate 78, the plate 66, and the cap 28, thus securing the plate 78, the ring 72the` plate 66 and the cap 28 rigidly together; Packing rings 82 are interposed between the plate 66 and the ring 72 and het-Ween the plate 78 and the ring 72. o

The operation of the device is as follows: With the drill steel 84 in the position shown in Figure l, great Weight is apt to be thrown onto the rotary parts in the :trent head of a rockdrill unless a device oi the nature of that just described is used to convey the Weight of the drill steel to thecasing parts oi. the rock drill and thus relieve the rotarypartsor" the strain. lt will be readily seen that. the entire Weight of the long drill steel rests on the thrust collars 5G ano that the thrust collars convey this Weight to the shoulder 4() of the cap 28 Which in turn carries the Weight to the front head 32 oi the rock drill Where it can do no damage. In order to prevent the vvatervvhich is used in cleansing the drill hole, and Vwhich may be under great pressure, froinentering the Working parts of the rock drill, the Water is led into the hollow drill steel from the external source 76, intothe Ynular ring 7s from which it passes into the transverse bore (i0 and thence into thev holey Gil oli the drill steel 54. The packing rings 82 prevent the escape of Water forwardly or rearwardly and thus eliminate thedetrimengitudinal cylindrical opening in the cap hav- 1 ing a-reduced portion and an renlarged,portion, a shoulder betvveenthe reduced portion and the enlarged portion, thrust collars in the enlarged portion res-ting against the shoulder,

a coupling adapted to seat against the thrust collars, a transverse bore in the coupling inY tersccting a central longitudinalbore, means lior conveyingfwater to the transverse bore, a pla-te forming a closure for the front end of the cap, and a second plate forming a' closure for the front end of the Water conveying means. 4 i

9.. In a steel support for rock drills, the combination oi a rock drill having a iront head, a cap adapted to lit over the front head, a longitudinal cylindrical opening in the cap having a reduced portion and an enlarged portion,- a shoulder betvveen the reduced portionand the enlarged portion, aplurality oi thrust collars in the enlarged portion resting against the shoulder, a coupling adapted 'to secure together vsections of drill steel, a collar en the coupling, said collar adapted tovseat i the transverse bore in the form of a ring surrounding said coupling, an annular groove 1n said ring, a conduit for conveying Water from an external source to said annulary groove, a plate forming a closure for the front end of the cap, and a second plate forming a closure for the front end ofthe Water conveying means. f

'8. In a steel support for rock drills, the combination of a rock drill and a front head therefor, a chuck'in. the front head, a drill steel coupling extending into the chuck, Wings on the drill steel coupling adapted to engage the chuck for preventing' relative r0- tation of said drill steel coupling and the chuck, a chuck bushing in the chuck forming a guide for the drill steel. coupling, and guiding means for the coupling seated on the- 'ront end of the fron-t head and having a fixed abutment for the drill steel coupling tomaintain the Wings in predetermined spaced relation with respect to the chuck bushing. ff

s. In a steelsupportfor rock drills, the combination of a rock drill and a front head therefor, a chuck in the .front head, a drill steel coupling extending into: the chuck and providec with Wings adapted to. engage the chuck or preventing relative rotation, of said drill steel coupling and theV chuck, a chuck bushing the chuck adapted to slidably receivethe drill steel coupling, a collar on' the drill steel coupling, a cap seated on the front end of the front headfand having an aperture therein to slidably yreceive said front head, said cap having affixed abutment for the. collar'to maintain the Wingsin predetermined spaced relation-vvith-respect to the chuck bushing.

5. In a drill steel support for rock drills, the combination of a rock drill having a liront head and a cylinder, side bolts, for connecting the front head to the cylinder, a chuck in thefront head, a drill steel coupling extending into the chuck and provided with Wings adapted to engage the chuck to prevent rotation ol' said drill steel coupling and the chuck, a chuck bushing in the chuck adapted to slidably receive the drill steel coupling, a collar on the drill steel coupling, a cap adapted to slidably receive the iront end of the front head and seated thereagainst, a projection on the cap for engaging a side bolt to prevent relative rotation of the cap and the front head, said capv having lixed bearing means for the collar torpositively maintain the Wings in predetermined spaced relation With respectto: the chuck bushing.

6. ln a steel support for' rock drills, the combination of a rock drill and a front head therefor, a chuck in the front head, a drill steel coupling' extending' into the chuck and provided With Wings adapted to engage the chuck for preventing relative rotation of the drill steel and the chuck, a chuck bushing in the chuck adapted to slidably receive the drill steel coupling, a collar on the drill steel coupling, a cap adapted to receive the front end of the front head and bearing thereagainst, a bore in the cap and provided with shoulder bearing means for the collar whereby the wings are maintained in predetermined spaced relation with respect to the chuck bushing, and a plate at the front end of the bore adapted to form a bearing for the coupling.

7. In a. steel support for rock drills, the combinatio-n of a rock drill and a front head therefor, a chuck in the front head, a drill steel comprising a plurality of sections, an end section of the drill steel extending into the chuck and having wings adapted to engage the chuck for preventing relative rotation of the drill steel and the chuck, a chuck bushing in the chuck adapted to slidably receive the drill steel coupling, a coupling for connecting said drill steel section to another drill steel section and having an integral collar, a cap adapted to slidably receive the front end of the front head and bearing thereagainst, a bore in the cap having shoulder means adapted to form an abutment for the collar whereby the wings are maintained in predetermined spaced relation with respect to the chuck bushing, and a plate secured to the forward end of the cap to form a bearing for the coupling.

8. In a drill steel support for rock drills, the combination of a rock drill and a front head therefor, a chuck in the front head, a drill steel section extending into the chuck and provided with wings adapted to engage the chuck for preventing relative rotation of the drill steel coupling and the chuck, a chuck bushing in the chuck adapted to slidably receive the drill steel coupling, a collar on the drill steel coupling, a cap adapted to slidably receive the front end of the front head and bearing thereagainst, a reduced bore and an enlarged bore in the cap forming a shoulder therebetween, and bearing means interposed between the shoulder and the collar, said means cooperating with said cap to maintain the wings in predetermined spaced relation with respect to the chuck bushing.

9. In a drill steel support for rock drills,

l the combination of a rock drill and a` front specification.

CHARLES C. HANSEN. 

